Getting Ready for Christmas

The tree went up last weekend - Mike's 52nd birthday. I gave him the book A Team of Rivals, and he's been reading it this week, when he has time out from snow-clearing.

I've been wrapping birthday gifts, Christmas gifts, decorating, shopping, and baking. The first set of cookies came out today: bachelor buttons, which are basic cookies with walnuts, coconut, green and red glazed cherries. They are Mike's favourites. Next on the list are chocolate hazelnut tassies and shortbread.

Mike was measured and tattooed on Tuesday at the Cancer Centre for his radiation treatments which will likely start around the end of January and go for 7 and one-half weeks. He now has little X's on his hips and stomach. He was too shy to ask for anchors on his forearms! I wish he didn't have to go through it.

We are now off work until January 3, 2006. This is the first Christmas that I have taken time off in a long time. The last few years were awful anyway, so I can't say that I missed being at home. I am getting over the memories of bad Christmasses finally. This move has been a good thing that way. So much here reminds me of happy childhood Christmas! And I am fortunate in that I can help make others' Christmas happier.

Bits and pieces of the last week

I found a fun web site that compares your pictures to those of celebrities:

http://www.myheritage.com/FP/Company/tryFaceRecognition.php?s=1&u=g0&lang=EN

Wasted plenty of time on that one tonight.

We went to visit my friend Paige after work and took her a Christmas decoration that we picked up for fun: a lighted, inflatable Santa. Paige used to be our landlady; we became friends when we worked together. I'm still hoping that she moves out here - she grew up around this area, after all. It was fun taking pictures of the Santa (who looks like a friend of hers!). Will post one later.

Had lunch last week with one of my former computer students, Jamie (I've had all kinds of weird and different jobs - a change is as good as a rest). He has just broken up with the latest girlfriend. He always says that life is so complicated, and thinks I'm rather naive because I say it's not. I set him up with a girlfriend from work once - and another time took along my friend Paige to a bar he was playing at (part time musician), to see if there was interest; all unsuccessfully. I have a 0 for 500 batting average at matchmaking, but an abiding interest in it. Anyway, turns out he's moved in on the same street as girlfriend from work. Heh heh heh. Jamie and I can talk for hours; he rants, I am more philosophical. We worked together in 1995 or 1996 for 4 months. I am in touch with most of my former students from that time, but mostly him and Suzanne (who I adore). He is more my age (42) although I had to get used to that since because he was a student back then I took him to be much younger (early 20s, and he was 32). No doubt I talked down to him off and on. He didn't seem to take offence.

My boss announced that he's leaving for a bigger department, will be the Director General of Social Policy. I will miss him a lot. Marilyn and I cried when he told us. He'll be gone after I return from my first Christmas vacation in years.This will be cause for much future disruption, I'm certain.

Old Poetry

In the interests of posting something....
This is really old...mine.
I was so intense. I won't post the really bad stuff, it's too ineptly derivitive of Bob Dylan and Bruce Cockburn! Or worse.

- - - - - - - - - -

There is a knowing anguish
in his manner;
consciously manipulated
in his many facial portraits.
His fingers move crippled
through his hair like broken stems,
reflecting tragedy, while
the mask below contrives comic relief.

- circa 1974

- - - - - - - - - -

Your guitar is the moon
In your fingers.
Your music not played,
But devoured.
And I helplessly listen
In rapture,
Moving rhythmically
In nervous jealousy.

- circa 1974

- - - - - - -- -

I have seen the mocking lights
forever gliding through rotten snow
red and white
shadows on blackened walls.
Waiting at my window
thinking it is raining
but it is not.

I have seen the cautious eyes
searching the concrete, but not with me.
They say that songs
are not like real life.
Waiting at my window
not seeing the days through -
it’s not so.

I have seen the Silent Night
and baptized it with my own eyes.
I have watched the Light
go out with day.
Waiting at my window
for the return of One
who did not.

- circa 1974

- - - - - - - - -

Sunlight

Sunlight through the trees
Sprinkling on the lawn
Shattered glass
Forever falling
In glittering silence.

- circa 1971

Christmas Cards and Miscellaneous

I've been making Christmas cards - about seventy in all over the last while. These are samples. I haven't sniffed so much glue since Grade School. At least I'm not eating it...so far. Amazing what can be done with paper, scissors, paper clips, cotton balls and ribbon scraps. The Onion had a funny pseudo-news item last week on the pitfalls of "Glitter Lung" (pneumosparklyosis) among elementary school art teachers. I know the symptoms. The embossing powder is the worst!

The Canadian election campaign is in full swing. The government has handed out billions of dollars - or rather, promised to hand out billions of dollars. So far, the most fun has been on Rick Mercer's blog:

http://rickmercer.blogspot.com/


People have been Photo-shopping their little hearts out.  Check it out!

I Hate Prostate Cancer - Reprise

Mike and I went to meet with the radiation oncologist on Thursday December 8. His PSA lveels in his three month check-ups had been about .08 for a year (with one zero) then this summer it went to .09. His test in October was .13. That's when he was referred to the oncologist and sent for more tests: bone scans, CAT scan, chest e-ray, blood work.

The nurse who came in first immediately told him his PSA result from November (one month after the October one): "Your PSA is .16, that's good!" I guess for men who are more advanced, that IS good. For us it was bad news.

The oncologist, Dr. Kendall, has recommended radiation. There was a small mark on one of Mike's ribs - Mike asked if it was there in the 2003 scan. Dr. Kendall said, "Smart question, actually, yes it was, and it has not changed." Therefore we all believe it is just a leftover reminder of some klutzy move on Mike's part once upon a time. The bone scans show up old breaks and injuries. The prostate bed itself looked fine - whatever is there is likely still around there and very tiny.

So, sometime after Xmas, Mike will start radiation treatments for 7.5 weeks, Mon-Fri. He feels good about though. At least it's doing something to attack the thing. I am so glad he has a positive attitude about it. I think that's as important as anything. He will likely be able to work through the first part - afterwards you apparently get quite fatigued. And the radiation at the time is painless, although it can leave a "sunburned" skin and cause damage to the rectum (because the prostate bed is right behind it. This can be healed on its own or repaired. No urinary incontinence, but the doctor told him that the radiation will likely "finish him off down there" as far as impotence goes. But at least no hormone treatment is recommended - Mike's more terrified of that than anything.

Canadian Pacific Holiday Train

The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train arrived tonight and we went downtown to see it. This photo shows the front of the train reflected in the Mississippi River. The train colects food and money for North American food banks.

Valancy and David came out earlier in the day to help put up a funky handmade Christmas sign that we found in the garage. They stayed for roast beef and to go see the train.

There was music ("Christmas in the Valley" was the highlight) and kids running all around, rolling down the train grade. I hope no one was under the train when it left! We walked around to see all the lights. Wayne Rostad (Valley Boy), the Moffats, and Amanda Stott sang.

The night was clear and very starry, temperature about -5 C. Very little wind, as you can see in the picture by the river. The town was decorated and lively; truckloads of food were collected and big plastic tubs full of bills. Valancy and I thought that the whole scene was very like the movie "One Magic Christmas," which is our family favourite. It was shot somewhere in old small town Ontario.

My father worked for many years for Canadian Pacific, as did several of my uncles. Even I worked for the "Sleepy R" as Dad called it, for a year. I was their first female "Office Boy" (official job title) in the Freight Claims Department in Winnipeg. I was promoted to "Junior Over Short and Damaged Clerk" and then "Senior Over Short and Damaged Clerk" while I was there. I went back to University after that. I wish Dad had been there with us; he would have loved it. Mike said that it was the cleanest freight train he'd ever seen. When we were first together, he often worked casual labour jobs unloading boxcars.